At present, various rack designs are utilized to store and transport cylindrical containers. A traditional and very simple approach can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,165 ("the Collins patent"), which discloses a method of stacking pipes utilizing chocks. The Collins patent discloses an improved chock "stick," but the overall chock concept is not new. Cylindrical objects such as pipes have been transported or stored with chocks, which are employed to keep the objects from rolling. This very simple method of retaining one or more cylindrical objects is useful in only certain applications where transport or storage is the primary objective. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,107 ("the Bergstrom et al. patent") is a modular rack array with limitations in that the rack may be used primarily for storage, but does not facilitate easy or convenient movement of the barrels. In the Bergstrom et al. patent, a base configuration used for the lowest tier of barrels is different from the supports for upper tiers. Many barrels may be stacked, one upon the other, but moving select barrels is not easy, particularly when the barrel to be moved is in the center of a large array of barrels.
Several patents disclose ways of handling several barrels without the limitations of the Bergstrom et al. patent. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,649 ("the Mark patent"), utilizes tubing in a configuration such that when reels are loaded onto the rack, another rack may fit on top of the first rack, resting on the reels themselves. In this way, the reels form part of the stacking system, and may be moved a few at a time. A limitation of the Mark patent is that in certain configurations, the racks may only be accessed by a fork lift from a single direction, the front.
The Mark patent also discloses a tubular system which can be disassembled and reassembled in differing sizes. While it is attractive to be able to store unused racks in a disassembled state, because the racks in the Mark patent are held together by traditional hardware like nuts and bolts, the racks demand significant time and labor in their disassembly and reassembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,019,916 ("the Malcher patent") discloses a rack which also facilitates the stacking of drums utilizing a fork lift. Such a rack is an improvement over the Collins patent, the Bergstrom et al. patent, and the Mark patent in that Malcher allows stacking to be accomplished from the front or the side of the rack. In this method, a few barrels may be moved at a time from a variety of directions. Malcher also teaches a rack which is assembled with traditional hardware, and can be broken down for storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,796 ("the Thompson patent"), discloses another rack structure allowing access by a forklift on four sides. The "V" configuration of the Thompson patent allows a variety of sizes of barrels to be stored, an improvement over the Malcher patent's round "cradle." However, the Thompson patent also teaches an assembled rack which requires significant labor to prepare the rack for storage.
A rack which is widely used in the wine industry is the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 3,476,260 ("The Jay patent"). The Jay patent is a welded metal rack which provides very good strength, necessary for stacking wine barrels. Because it is welded, the rack disclosed in the Jay patent does not break down for easy storage.
All of the previously mentioned patents except Collins (not really a rack) teach the use of metal for the rack material. While stronger than wood, a disadvantage which comes from using metal for a wine barrel rack is the leakage of liquid attendant to wine making. For example, when new barrels are used, and in the case of premium wines, often, new barrels for each vintage are employed, the barrels absorb enough wine that "topping off" the barrels is done often, which means spillage. Also, often times wine makers will move wine from barrel to barrel in the fining process. As a result, wine is sometimes spilled during its transfer. Because of all the operations attendant to the making of wine, and resulting in spillage of wine, yeast or chemicals, from time to time barrel racks must be sterilized. This is typically accomplished by steam cleaning. Because metal is easier to clean than wood, metal racks are superior to wood in terms of preventing bacterial growth. However, metal racks rust, requiring maintenance in the form of sandblasting or painting. Such efforts are expensive, not just in the actual maintenance itself, but also in the consequential unstacking and restacking of barrels required to free up racks needing attention.
In the wine business in particular, it is desirable to leave a barrel of fermenting or aging wine undisturbed. Consequently, this means that the need for servicing barrel racks should be minimized to prevent disturbing the wine. This also means that a barrel rack should preferably be accessible on all sides by a forklift to minimize the moves required in handling the barrels, and the potential for dropping a barrel.
Because of the need to service barrel racks, a preferred design would accommodate the rapid assembly and disassembly of the rack to prevent floor space from being used up by empty barrel racks.
Further, because of the need for servicing, a preferred barrel rack would employ a material of high strength, but resistant to corrosion, and which could be easily chemically treated or sterilized.
What is needed is a rack which allows stacking of various sized barrels, accessible by a forklift from all four sides, which may be stored without great time or labor, using minimal floor space, and which is resistant to corrosion thereby needing little maintenance. Such a rack should also provide secure retention of the barrels or containers which are to be stored.